Hope & Inspiration

He Lives On the Pond Where I Live

Welcome everyone.

When one has the blessing of seeing the things that I see on a daily basis, it creates a greater lust for life. In a time when it seems very dark for Morgellons sufferers, it is important to remember that our Hope does not lie in the hands of the powers that be.

We thought it would be a good idea to dedicate a page on our site where inspiration, hope and smiles rule the day. If something here makes you laugh or cry, well that is fine too.

This bald eagle now resides in a tree near the pond where I live. When the pond is frozen, he hunts Northern Geese. Once the ice melts, I watch him catch fish. He is only one of many wondrous creatures that appear outside of my windows that provide me with entertainment, joy and sometimes awe.

A special thanks to my new neighbor Nelson who is a fantastic photographer, capturing pictures that do these animals justice.

In the not too distant future, we will be bringing you the story of Liverwurst (picture forthcoming), the red tailed hawk that first appeared on July 13, 2006 - the day they told me at the clinic that I had only months to live.

Upon making direct eye contact with the majestic bird, it became clear to me that my so called death sentence was not going to happen. He was and still is my inspiration to continue on, for I will always believe that he was a messenger from God.

Besides Liverwurst and the bald eagle who has yet to be named, I often see a female golden eagle nesting in a tree near the pond. As I write this, looking out toward the snow capped mountains to my West, I see a gray eagle perched atop the Hilton Inn searching the field below my window.

I look forward to the day when we will enjoy these sights together, holding hands as we gather around the pond to celebrate our lives being restored.

God Bless you all. Never, Never give up Hope!

Mel

Look Who's Back! (Isaiah) Two years later; my how he's grown!

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Story of Liverwurst

Some people think I am delusional when I try to explain to them this story of Liverwurst...

He is a forty pound red tailed hawk whose talons are bigger than my hands, and whose first eye contact with me was more intense than anything I had ever experienced with any living creature.

The date was July 13, 2006. I had just returned home from the clinic where I was told that I had Morgellons and I would not likely be here for Christmas.

I live up on the third floor of an apartment building that overlooks a pond on one side and a vacant field on the other. We have a long set of steps and we have another set of steps with a landing midway up.

As I reached the landing, I was looking to the West where the mountains still had a little bit of snow at the top. Sitting on the chimney cap on the peak of our apartment building, I noticed this monstrous bird staring right at me. The eye contact was so intense that I was able to later describe in detail the coloring and other features of his eyes.

It was at that very moment that I felt a calmness and peace that I had never before experienced in my life. I felt he must have been a messenger from God, and right then and there, I knew I wasn't going to die!

I made a vow that if I lived through this horrifying disease, I would then do everything in my power to help as many people as possible. It was my first interaction with God, and it was my first sign of HOPE!

My relationship with this animal has continued for over seven years as evidenced by these pictures taken less than a week ago. When he is not perched atop my chimney, he is patrolling the grounds below or the woods nearby (where these pictures were taken).

I always know where to find him. I have fed this bird nine times in seven years... hence his name, Liverwurst... although I know he prefers rabbit (as you can see if you look carefully at the picture above).

Any of you who get well and wish to visit Reno, not only will we walk around the pond together, I will personally take you to visit Liverwurst.

God bless you all. Never, Never give up Hope!

Mel

P.S. - Liverwurst is larger than the bald eagle in the picture on the Hope & Inspiration page!

Little Salami - Grandaughter of Liverwurst

Welcome everyone.

I originally caught a glimpse of Little Salami high in a tree last March soon after he was born. The nest was made visible because the tree had yet to start developing new leaves.

I pulled over to the side of the road to get a better look, and initially thought it was a nest of bald eagles instead of red tail hawks.

Upon my return with my friend Nelson, who has taken many of the nature pictures on our website, we saw the father circling the field hunting for food for the nest. We realized that despite his great size, he was a red tail hawk, perhaps even Liverwurst's son.

The picture you see before you is a picture of Little Salami sitting on the rail of the terrace that I used to feed his grandfather off of. He is about nine months old at this time and has returned two additional times this winter.

It never ceases to amaze me the amount of nature that surrounds me. I have always considered this a gift.

God Bless you all; Never, Never give up Hope!

Little Salami - One Year Later

Hello Everyone.

Recently Little Salami came to visit me once again. My how he has grown!

He had a special message for everyone:

"Read, read, read some more!"

God Bless You All. Never, Never give up Hope!

Mel

Charlotte Travis Blog

Charlotte Travis is Founder and President of Abide in Him, Inc. which is a non-profit 501(c)3 whose mission is to strengthen the body of Christ through the teaching of His amazing Word. She is a gifted teacher and writer, and a dedicated servant as you will see.

The Interview With God

Why God Made Dogs

The True Measure of Success

One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"

To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"

Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...)

"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.

I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor winner.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.

You want to know what I make? (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.)

I make kids wonder.

I make them question.

I make them apologize and mean it.

I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.

I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't everything.

I make them read, read, read.

I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator.

I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity.

I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.

I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America.

Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life. (Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)

Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant.

You want to know what I make?

I MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

What do you make Mr. CEO?"

His jaw dropped, he went silent.

"Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Mark 10:43-45)

Blue Rose

Having four visiting family members, my wife was very busy, so I offered to go to the store for her to get some needed items, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags, detergent and Clorox. So off I went.

I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies and headed for the checkout counter, only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man who appeared to be about sixteen-years old. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, "Mommy, I'm over here."

It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, "Hey Buddy, what's your name?"

"My name is Benny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly.

"Wow," I said, "that's a cool name; I wish my name was Benny, but my name is Steve."

"Steve, like Stevarino?" he asked. "Yes," I answered. "How old are you Benny?"

"How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle.

"You're fifteen years old Benny; now be a good boy and let the man pass by."

I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Benny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement, because he was the center of someone's attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section.

Benny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him.

I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in God's Garden; however, "Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Benny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God.

She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, "Who are you?"

Without thinking I said, "Oh, I'm probably just a dandelion, but I sure love living in God's garden."

She reached out, squeezed my hand and said, "God bless you!" and then I had tears in my eyes.

May I suggest, the next time you see a BLUE ROSE, whichever differences that person may have, don't turn your head and walk off. Take the time to smile and say Hello. Why? Because, by the grace of GOD, this mother or father could be you. This could be your child, grandchild, niece, nephew or any other family member. What a difference a moment can mean to that person or their family.

From an old dandelion! Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to the powers that be.

"People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel!"

Buttons

Hi Mel,

I wanted to share this picture of my fur baby, Buttons. She is 19 years young! Her Vet is simply amazed that she is so healthy, active and "young looking" for her age.

I believe the MMS has definitely contributed to her youthful appearance and health. When I started to show symptoms, I noticed that my dogs were itching a lot. Desperate, I started to give them MMS in their water bowls which has helped greatly. After an initial detox period, all my fur babies are full of energy and spunk. I have even noticed that Buttons' gray hair is slowly getting darker. I thought It was my imagination, but several people have noticed the same thing.

She and her siblings are on a combination of MMS, Grapefruit Seed Extract, several of the Logos products and some herbal supplements to address specific concerns.

Thanks for recommending that I watch the you tube video by Andreas Kalcker on MMS. He talks about how he gave MMS to his dog, before taking it himself and how the dog is doing fine with no complications from use. This video definitely helped me to decide to give MMS to my dogs and I am glad I did.

God Bless you and John B. for everything!

Theresa S.

No Greater Love

After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church's pastor slowly stood up and walked over to the pulpit.

Before he gave his sermon for the evening, he briefly introduced a guest minister who was in the service that evening. In the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends, and that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service.

With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak.

"A father, his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the Pacific coast", he began.

"When a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to the shore. The waves were so high that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright and the three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized."

The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story.

The aged minister continued with his story:

"Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life. To which boy would he throw the other end of the lifeline? He only had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his son was a Christian, and he also knew that the son's friend was not.

The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves.

As the father yelled out, "I love you son!" he threw out the lifeline to his son's friend. By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of night.

His body was never recovered."

By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old minister's mouth.

"The father, he continued, "knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus and he could not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son's life to save the son's friend."

He continued, "How great is the love of God that He should do the same for us. Our heavenly father sacrificed his only begotten son that we could be saved. I urge you to accept his offer to rescue you and take hold of the life line He is throwing out to you in this service."

With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room.

The pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon with an invitation at the end. However, no one responded to the appeal.

Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man's side.

"That was a nice story", politely stated one of them, "but I don't think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian."

'Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied, glancing down at his worn bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face.

He once again looked up at the boys and said, "It sure isn't very realistic, is it?" But I'm standing here today to tell you that story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up his Son for me."

"YOU SEE... I WAS THAT FATHER AND YOUR PASTOR IS MY SON'S FRIEND."

The Bible

This makes me want to leave a Bible laying open in my house all the time!

Ruth Graham did.

Did you know that...

When you carry the Bible, Satan has a headache.

When you open it, he collapses.

When he sees you reading it, he loses his strength.

AND when you stand on the Word of God, Satan can't hurt you?

God Bless You All

T Bones and Roses

I walked into the grocery store not particularly interested in buying groceries. I wasn't hungry. The pain of losing my husband of 57 years was still too raw. And this grocery store held so many sweet memories.

He often came with me and almost every time he'd pretend to go off and look for something special. I knew what he was up to. I'd always spot him walking down the aisle with the three yellow roses in his hands.

He knew I loved yellow roses. With a heart filled with grief, I only wanted to buy my few items and leave, but even grocery shopping was different since he had passed on. Shopping for one took time, a little more thought than it had for two.

Standing by the meat, I searched for the perfect small steak and remembered how he had loved his steak.

Suddenly a woman came up beside me. She was blonde, slim and lovely in a soft green pantsuit. I watched as she picked up a large package of T-bones, dropped them in her basket, hesitated, and then put them back. She turned to go and once again reached for the pack of steaks.

She saw me watching her and she smiled. "My husband loves T-bones, but honestly, at these prices, I don't know."

I swallowed the emotion down my throat and met her pale blue eyes.

"My husband passed away eight days ago," I told her. Glancing at the package in her hands, I fought to control the tremble in my voice. "Buy him the steaks. And cherish every moment you have together."

She shook her head and I saw the emotion in her eyes as she placed the package in her basket and wheeled away.

I turned and pushed my cart across the length of the store to the dairy products. There I stood, trying to decide which size milk I should buy. A quart, I finally decided and moved on to the ice cream. If nothing else, I could always fix myself an ice cream cone.

I placed the ice cream in my cart and looked down the aisle toward the front. I saw first the green suit, then recognized the pretty lady coming towards me. In her arms she carried a package. On her face was the brightest smile I had ever seen! I would swear a soft halo encircled her blonde hair as she kept walking toward me, her eyes holding mine.

As she came closer, I saw what she held and tears began misting in my eyes. "These are for you," she said and placed three beautiful long stemmed yellow roses in my arms. "When you go through the line, they will know these are paid for." She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek, then smiled again. I wanted to tell her what she'd done, what the roses meant, but still unable to speak, I watched as she walked away as tears clouded my vision.

I looked down at the beautiful roses nestled in the green tissue wrapping and found it almost unreal. How did she know? Suddenly the answer seemed so clear. I wasn't alone.

Oh, you haven't forgotten me, have you? I whispered, with tears in my eyes. He was still with me, and she was his angel.

Every day, be thankful for what you have and who you are:

"Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings. Thank you, Lord, that I can hear. There are many who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as long as possible. Thank you, Lord , that I can see. Many are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising. Thank you, Lord, that I have the strength to rise. There are many who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned, tempers are short, and my children are so loud.

Thank you, Lord, for my family. There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like the picture in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced.

Thank you, Lord, for the food we have. There are many who are hungry.

Even though the routine of my job often is monotonous. Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work. There are many who have no job.

Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my circumstances were not so modest.

Thank you, Lord, for life. "

A Tale of Two Men

The choices we make have a powerful impact...

STORY NUMBER ONE

Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago . Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was Capone's lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.

To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but Eddie got special dividends, as well.. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block.

Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him.

Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object.

And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was.

Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example.

He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al "Scarface" Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. But, he testified.

Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago Street . But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine.

The poem read:

"The clock of life is wound but once,and no man has the power,to tell just when the hands will stop,at late or early hour.Now is the only time you own.Live, love, toil with a will.Place no faith in time,For the clock may soon be still."

STORY NUMBER TWO

World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare.He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.

One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank.

He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship.

His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet.

As he was returning to the mother ship, he saw something that turned his blood cold; a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet.

The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet.

Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes.

Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent.

Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible, rendering them unfit to fly.

Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction.

Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier.

Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.

This took place on February 20, 1942 , and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.

A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.

So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2.

SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?

Butch O'Hare was "Easy Eddie's" son.

TRAINS

Hello Everyone,

Welcome as always.

As
the holiday season approaches I thought I would start by showing still
pictures of the model railroad that took over two years to build. I
built this thinking I might die from Morgellons.

I wanted to build one more layout, as I have loved trains since I was 18 months old.

A
special thanks to Bill Moffit, who crawled around with me on the floor for hours at a time despite the fact that I was so ill. He always told me I wasn't going to
die. Also, I would be remiss if I didn't thank my dear friend Doug, who taught me as much about life as trains. Bill has since
passed away and I haven't seen Doug in 5 years. Both are thought of
often with wonderful memories.

These pictures will show you the
great detail that went into this project of love. I truly hope they
bring a smile to your face as they have mine each time I have looked at
them. Remember at the bottom of this thread is the video made a few
months after these pictures!

Enjoy and have the happiest of holidays possible.

Remember, this too shall pass; there is living proof of this throughout our website!!

God bless you all, Never ever give up HOPE!

Mel

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